Largest U.S. university system makes fall term virtual

Largest U.S. university system makes fall term virtual

As uncertainty about the spread of COVID-19 continues, the largest university system in the United States, California State University, decided this week to make fall term classes virtual, one of the first to do so, amid fears of a second wave of infections in the months ahead.

This report produced by Jillian Kitchener.

BROADCAST AND DIGITAL RESTRICTIONS~*Broadcasters: NONE Digital: NONE**~ "The social aspect is definitely a really good way to kind of decompress and not always be worried about something going on in one of your classes and I definitely miss it.” Ofer Barr - a mechanical engineering student at California Polytechnic State University - will have to wait even longer to hang out with fellow students in class.

California State University - the largest university system in the U.S. - has decided to make almost all fall term classes virtual, one of the first to do so.

The decision comes amid fears of a second wave of infections in the months ahead.

Cal State spokesman, Mike Uhlenkhamp: "...the spotlight is on us in terms of the decision, we weren't hoping to influence anyone.

But this is a decision that the Chancellor and the campus presidents arrived at that we feel is in the best interests of our students and our employees." Eighteen-year-old Isabella Torres is starting her freshman year at CSU in September.

She says it’s sad she won’t get the full experience of campus-life, but she understands the need for social distancing: "I think it is the best way to keep everyone safe and maybe next year like you can have your full experience without having to worry about staying your distance from other people so I think it will be better in the long run." William Hunter is a 21-year-old studio arts major at San Francisco State University who won’t get the usual hands-on instruction.

He said he considered just taking a year off.

"It's absolutely tempting (to take a year off) and it's absolutely something that I had thought about for a little while, but at the same time it's so very easy to lose your flow in school and then not want to come back." Moving classes online has been costly for the universities.

Earlier this week Cal State's board of trustees discussed an estimated $337 million in new costs and revenue losses for the spring term.